


visiting hours

by harpers_mirror (SapphireBryony)



Series: Blow Us All Away [3]
Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: F/M, kiss meme, more Minffel friendship than ship-ship, tumblr prompt fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:52:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireBryony/pseuds/harpers_mirror
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Small steps. Break it down and focus on the next step. Don’t focus on how little I know or how little I can do.</p><p>Don’t focus on the fact that I didn’t even know I was his emergency contact.</p>
            </blockquote>





	visiting hours

**Author's Note:**

> written for the kiss meme prompt #10 - a "you nearly died" kiss

_ No, _ I think blankly as my phone slips out of my numb fingers to clatter onto the kitchen counter.  _ No, not like this. Not after everything we went through out there. God  _ damn  _ you, Doug. A fucking car accident isn’t how you get to go out. _

Okay, calm down, don’t panic. Get to the hospital.

Shoes. Keys. Get shoes and a jacket on Margot. Get her in her car seat.

Small steps. Break it down and focus on the next step. Don’t focus on how little I know or how little I can do.

Don’t focus on the fact that I didn’t even know I was his emergency contact.

Get to the hospital. Get in, find out where to go, follow the blue line on the wall, heart hammering and hands shaking to the point where I have to hoist Margot higher on my hip before she could tumble to the floor.

Ask at the desk, need to find out if I’m in the right place, if they can tell me something,  _ anything _ more than the nothing good I know already.

Find out he’s alive, he’s stable, that they’re still running tests and I need to wait. Sit down and wait and wait and amuse the restless 18-month-old on my lap with my keys because her frantic mommy forgot to grab any books or toys on her mad dash out the door. End up with her trying to gnaw on an ancient  _ Highlights _ magazine and feel reasonably accomplished when she only drools on it a little bit instead.

Text Dom and tell him what’s going on. Tell him not to leave work just yet, that I’ll let him know when I know more. Tell him I love him.

Finally hear the nurse call my name. Realize absently she mispronounced it just like _he_ always does and clamp down on that line of thought. Sounds by her tone like maybe she’s said it more than once but my brain is wrapped in fog so screw her. Pry the magazine out of Margot’s wet little hands, gather us up and walk on shaky legs to the room she indicated.

And there he is, looking pale and tense and uncomfortable with an oxygen thing in his nose and his head bandaged, and his right arm in a cast, staring at the ceiling.

I shut the door behind me, set Margot on the orange vinyl-covered chair by the bedside, and just look at him for a moment. Doug turns to me looking surprised.

“Minkowski! What are you doing here?”

He’s alive. He looks pretty okay, considering he got broadsided by a semi truck. He’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive and I realize tears are flowing down my cheeks.

“Minkowski?” He draws the first syllable out in confusion. I wipe the tears away and take a deep breath, but no words come out yet.

“Hey, boss, it’s okay. I’m fine.” He moves to sit up, grimaces, and allows, “Okay, well, not  _ fine, _ but I’ll live. Just some broken bones, bit of a major concussion. Nothing I can’t handle. I’ve had worse, you know that. I’m okay. And on some pretty killer pain meds right now too, so, score.”

I sink down onto the bed beside him, gazing at him and let out the shock and fear of the past few hours.

“You’re  _ okay," _ I manage to get out and hate how accusatory I sound. “They wouldn’t tell me any details over the phone and I’ve been waiting forever and all I knew was that you’d gotten in a wreck and it was bad enough that they called me and told me to come down and I thought...”

Behind me, Margot starts fussing, empathetic little creature that she is, so I turn and scoop her up into my lap, cuddling her close. Doug’s uncasted hand comes to rest on my leg.

“Hey, Minkowski...everything going to be fine. I promise.”

Feeling dreadful - he was the one all banged up and in the hospital and still trying to comfort  _ me _ , wasn’t that just like him? - I dig a tissue out of my purse and wipe my eyes.

“Jeez, I’m sorry Eiffel, I’m the last thing you should be worrying about right now. I’m fine. You just scared the living daylights out of me.” I manage a small smile. “Didn’t think you’d still be so jeopardy-friendly once we were out of constant life-or-death situations up there.”

He laughs too and the sound of it goes a long way toward convincing me he really is okay. “No offence boss, but...have you  _ met _ me? At least this time it wasn’t my fault. Not that that makes my car any less totaled or my  _ me _ any less squashed, but...”

I laugh too, and cover his hand with mine, curling my fingers around his. Margot leans forward to gently pat our entwined hands and Eiffel grins down at her.

“Hey cuteness, didja come to make sure your Uncle Doug is still in one piece?” She squeals at the sound of his voice - Doug is pretty much her favorite person in the entire world - and tries to launch herself onto his chest. I manage to stop her in time, but Doug wraps his good arm around her and lets her snuggle up against his side.

“She’s not going to hurt you?” I fret, still worried.

“Nah, it’s good. Gotta get my sympathy snuggles while I still make such a pitiable picture.”

I relax slightly. “Eiffel, I’ll be right back. I’ve got to call Dominik back and let him know what’s going on. Had to stop him from leaving work to race over here.” Pulling out my phone, I step out into the hall to call my husband and reassure him everything is okay. The relief in his voice is audible.

Stepping back inside, I find my best friend and my daughter curled up together, both apparently asleep. After letting myself revel in the sweet sight for a minute, I reluctantly start to scoop up Margot. Doug’s eyes open.

“She’s okay where she is. And while I’m not asleep yet I’m probably going to be in a few minutes. Whatever medication they gave me is definitely kicking in big time. But I don’t mind if you stay. It’s nice. Never...” He trails off, blushing a little.

“What?”

“Never had anyone come visit me in the hospital before. Kind of surprised to see you two. S’nice.”

“Of course we came. We love you, you moron.”

His eyes widen but he grins at me, sleepily and a little hazily. “Thanks. Love you guys too.” His lashes flutter and I know he’s almost out.

Impulsively, I lean forward and kiss him, a quick brush of lips.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. Don't you ever do this to me again, understood?” I murmur, resting my forehead briefly against his. He smiles hazily at me. 

"Gotcha, boss. I'll try." 

He falls asleep with that smile on his face and I sit and watch his chest rise and fall for a long time.


End file.
